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Prepare Your Properties for Hurricane Season No Matter the Forecast

Just because the forecast calls for less activity doesn’t mean that the season should be taken lightly. In 1972, 1983 and 1992, three hurricanes – Agnes, Alicia and Andrew – caused more than $30 billion in damage. In 1992, Andrew left at least 26 people dead and $26.5 billion in damage as it tracked across southern Florida and into the Gulf of Mexico and the central Louisiana Coast.

“When it’s hurricane season it’s hurricane season, regardless of the forecast,” says LeasingDesk President Ed Wolff, an advocate of hurricane preparedness. “As history has told us, hurricanes can cause significant damage even when you least expect them. Specific actions need to be taken to protect homes, families and employees.”

Wolff’s advice is not just for those along the coastal states. Powerful storms can travel far inland causing damage in areas where people are less experienced with big-storm preparation.

Now is the time to refresh emergency kits, stockpile clean water, plan evacuations for staff and residents and note the closest emergency shelters. In addition, the National Hurricane Center publishes a helpful Preparedness Guide.

Also, property owners should take necessary steps to get the exterior of buildings, outdoor common areas and the landscape ready. The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety offers tips to prepare structures and landscapes for hurricanes and other severe storms. Here are some:

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Tim Blackwell is a long-time publishing and printing executive in the Dallas/Fort Worth area who writes about the multifamily housing and transportation industries. He has contributed numerous articles to Property Management Insider, and worked as a newspaper reporter in the D/FW area. Blackwell is president of Ballpark Impressions, and publishes the Cowcatcher Magazine. He is a member of the Fort Worth Chapter/Society of Professional Journalists.

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